बृहदश्व उवाच
सा नमस्कृत्य देवेभ्यः प्रहस्य नलम् अब्रवीत् ॥
प्रणयस्व यथाश्रद्धं राजन् किं करवाणि ते ॥
अहं चैव हि यच् चान्यन् ममास्ति वसु किं चन ॥
सर्वं तत् तव विश्रब्धं कुरु प्रणयम् ईश्वर ॥
हंसानां वचनं यत् तत् तन् मां दहति पार्थिव ॥
त्वत्कृते हि मया वीर राजानः संनिपातिताः ॥
यदि चेद् भजमानां मां प्रत्याख्यास्यसि मानद ॥
विषम् अग्निं जलं रज्जुम् आस्थास्ये तव कारणात् ॥
bṛhadaśva uvāca
sā namaskṛtya devebhyaḥ prahasya nalam abravīt ||
praṇayasva yathāśraddhaṃ rājan kiṃ karavāṇi te ||
ahaṃ caiva hi yac cānyan mamāsti vasu kiṃ cana ||
sarvaṃ tat tava viśrabdhaṃ kuru praṇayam īśvara ||
haṃsānāṃ vacanaṃ yat tat tan māṃ dahati pārthiva ||
tvatkṛte hi mayā vīra rājānaḥ saṃnipātitāḥ ||
yadi ced bhajamānāṃ māṃ pratyākhyāsyasi mānada ||
viṣam agniṃ jalaṃ rajjum āsthāsye tava kāraṇāt ||
Brihadashva said: "Damayanti bowed to the gods, smiled, and said to Nala: 'O king, love me according to your own conviction; what shall I do for you? I myself, and all that is mine, belong to you without fear. Accept my love, my lord. The swan's words burn me, O king. For your sake I had the kings summoned. If you refuse me, who have come to you, I will resort to poison, fire, water, or a rope for your sake.'"
86bc6d112e19 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:54:08 PM UTC
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Damayanti chooses not heavenly power but faithfulness to what her heart has already accepted. Her resolve is dangerous in its intensity, yet pure in its direction.